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««« 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951	1956 in Ireland	»»» 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961
Decades: 1930s • 1940s • 1950s • 1960s • 1970s Centuries: 18th • 19th • 20th • 21st See also: 1956 in Northern Ireland Other events of 1956 List of years in Ireland

Events

• February 15 - Senator Owen Sheehy-Skeffington introduces a motion calling for the prohibition of all corporal punishment for girls in Irish national schools.
• April 2 - President Seán T. O'Kelly unveils a bust of Countess Markiewicz in St Stephen's Green, Dublin.
• May 1 - The Minister for Education Richard Mulcahy introduces the debate on a separate government department for the Gaeltacht.
• May 21 - President Seán T. O'Kelly opens the first Cork International Film Festival.
• May 29 - T. K. Whitaker is appointed new Secretary at the Department of Finance.
• August 12 - The Gaelic Athletic Association postpones the All-Ireland Hurling and Football Finals due to an outbreak of polio.
• November 21 - Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children is opened in Crumlin, Dublin.
• November 30 - Petrol rationing is due to be introduced from January 1 due to the crisis in the Suez.
• December 1 - At the Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, Ronnie Delany wins Ireland's first gold medal for 24 years.

Date unknown

• Robert Briscoe becomes the first Jewish Lord Mayor of Dublin^[1]

Arts and literature

Sport

Football

• League of Ireland

Winners: St Patrick's Athletic

• FAI Cup

Winners: Shamrock Rovers 3 - 2 Cork Athletic.

Births

January to June

• 1 January - John O'Donohue, poet and philosopher (d.2008).
• 16 January - Denis Moran, former Kerry Gaelic footballer.
• 11 February - Pat Carroll, Offaly hurler (d.1986).
• 13 February - Liam Brady, international soccer player.
• 21 February - Johnny Crowley, Cork hurler.
• 13 March - Pat McKeown, Bective Rangers FC ARLB IRFU.
• 13 April - Jim Lynagh, Provisional Irish Republican Army member killed in an ambush by the SAS during an attack on Loughgall RUC station (d.1987).
• 29 April - Kevin Moran, Gaelic footballer and soccer player.
• 30 April - Liam T. Cosgrave, Fine Gael politician, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann 1996–1997
• 4 May - Steve Barron, film director and producer.
• 5 May - Mary Coughlan, singer.
• 9 May - Brendan Howlin, national teacher, Labour Party Teachta Dála for Wexford and former Cabinet Minister.
• 15 May - Pat Byrne, soccer player and manager.
• 18 May - Pat Fleury, Offaly hurler, manager.
• 21 May - Seán Kelly, cyclist and broadcaster.
• 24 May - Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland Bishop of Clogher.
• 28 May - John O'Donoghue, Fianna Fáil TD for Kerry South and Cabinet Minister.
• 1 June - Brendan Smith, Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan–Monaghan and Minister of State.
• 4 June - Gerry Ryan, RTÉ radio presenter.
• 7 June - Marty Whelan, RTÉ radio and television presenter.

July to December

• 10 July - Frank Stapleton, soccer player and manager.
• July - Liz O'Donnell, Deputy Leader of the Progressive Democrats, former TD and Minister of State.
• August - Denis Mulcahy, Cork hurler.
• August 26 - Dick Hooper, long-distance runner
• 5 September - Willie Mullins, former jockey, racehorse trainer.
• 1 November - Charles Flanagan, Fine Gael TD for Laois–Offaly.

Full date unknown

• John Allen, Cork hurler and manager.
• Ciarán Brennan, singer, songwriter, producer and instrumentalist.
• Patrick Cassidy, composer.
• Marita Conlon-McKenna, children's writer.
• Joe Connolly, former Galway hurler.
• Dorothy Cross, sculptor and installation artist.
• Joe Duffy, radio presenter.
• Frankie Gavin, fiddle and flute player.
• Joe Hennessy, former Kilkenny hurler.
• Mary Kennedy, television presenter.
• Alice Maher, painter and sculptor.
• Tadhg Murphy, former Cork hurler.
• Cathal Ó Searcaigh, poet.
• Fran Rooney, businessman.

Deaths

January to June

• 30 January - Sir John Keane, 5th Baronet, barrister, member of Seanad (b.1873).
• 21 February - Louis Meldon, cricketer (b.1886).
• 13 March - Alfred Byrne, Irish Nationalist politician, served both as an MP in the British House of Commons and as a TD in Dáil Éireann (b.1882).
• 18 March - Benjamin Glazer, Academy Award-winning writer, producer and director (b.1887).
• 19 March - Matt Goff, Kildare Gaelic footballer (b.1901).
• 24 March - Bob Lambert, cricketer (b.1874).
• 17 May - John Tudor Gwynn, cricketer (b.1881).

July to December

• 5 August - John Miller Andrews, second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (b.1871).
• 19 November - Thomas Derrig, Fianna Fáil TD and Cabinet Minister (b.1897).
• 25 November - Robert Bowers, cricketer (b.1897).
• 11 December - Frederic Charles Dreyer, Royal Navy Admiral (b.1878).
• 27 December - Lambert McKenna, Jesuit priest and writer (b.1870).

Full date unknown

• James Cousins, poet and writer (b.1873).
• Elizabeth Cronin, traditional singer (b.1879).
• Ella Young, poet (b.1867).

References

1. ^ Department of the Taoiseach (2006). "Speech by the Taoiseach on visit to the Jewish Museum, Dublin". The Irish Times. http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/index.asp?locID=462&docID=2139. Retrieved 2008-03-09.